scottharris

A preferred method to use for showers is the backsplash tool. The video that shows this is 5218.

Hi Richard, this is a good intro video for kitchen and bath designers. Further, we offer 1-1 online training that is very effective if you're interested. Just give us a call we can talk through the details of the program. Video: Introductory Best Practices - Kitchen, Bath & Interiors

Hi All, Chief Architect has assembled a 2015 User Feedback Panel of 10 experienced Chief Architect members. The purpose of the panel is to provide feedback during the development of the next version of our software. We appointed these members early in 2015 and will be using their feedback as we progress in our development life cycle. This early feedback process is intended to help provide more usability input earlier; so, by the time we reach the point of pre-release (beta) that input can be incorporated. The User Feedback Panel will be meeting on Aug. 31 to wrap up their efforts and then be attending our User Group Meeting on Sept. 1. If you are thinking of attending the Chief Academy (User Group Meeting + Training), you can meet this group of power users. Members of this panel include this list of power users below. And, in the additional posts below you can see more about each of our panelists. We are thankful for their time and input in this process and are very excited to add this panel as another method for customer feedback.! 2015 User Feedback Panelists: Joseph Carrick Cheryl Crane Scott Hall Perry Hanstad Larry Hawes Mark McAniff Niclas Persson Wendy Welton Glenn Woodward

Once every two years, Chief Architect hosts a Training and User Group Meeting in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho (headquarters for Chief Architect). September 1 – 3. A total of four two-day Training classes will be offered. Three of these, Introductory, Intermediate, and Kitchen, Bath & Interiors, feature structured agendas designed to guide you through recommended drawing practices. A fourth class, Advanced Topics, focuses on tools and techniques of interest to experienced Chief Architect users. Learn more at: 2015 Chief Academy (User Group Meeting & Training)

The Room Planner app for Android is scheduled for Q2 of this year. And, if anyone is interested in beta testing the app, send us an email: beta@chiefarchitect.com

Michelle, in Preferences you can check which video card you are using. Radeon should have an app to choose with software programs use its card. You can also check to make sure your Intel driver is up to date; a good idea too for your Radeon driver. Finally, you can force Chief to use one of the video cards by right clicking on Chief's icon and select your video card.

Woodmode keeps the catalog private and restricts access to dealers thru the woodmode website. It is listed on our site as a pointer and link to woodmode.

I don't know of a good way to distinguish; you can when you modify dimensions, physically change their layer to manual.

This is correct it can be done in X6 and X7 - you need to choose the door style from the Library for that specific face item. See the attached example - it's also a cabinet in the sample plan Five-12 Kitchen if you want the details on the cabinet from my attached image.

Barry, If you delete (modify) an auto dimension, it 1) becomes a manual dimension and 2) will then prompt you to turn off the auto dimension with auto-refresh (since it won't refresh your manual dimension). So, you need to make a decision… I typically turn the auto dimension off once I have the shell and the openings setup and manually make my adjustments.

Barry, For the Auto NKBA, there is not a control to turn off/on what you locate. It is designed to pickup the typical items the NKBA recommends. I do it manually; using a dimension default for the cabinet boxes and one for my appliance centerlines. It works very quickly. In the dialog diagram these are “NKBA 1E – Elevation Cabinets” and “NKBA 2 – Appliance Centerline” (when using the centerline, change your dimension tool to centerline). If you want my defaults, you can export them from the Fire & Ice Sample plan (export the annotation sets; you will then just need to turn off openings in my NKBA 1E configuration.

Hi All, I have a few presentations at the 2015 Builder / Kitchen & Bath show. In particular is the topic using “3D Software to help Sell the Job”. In the past we have had presentations like – a kitchen that would change cabinets styles instantly using “set as default” It is fun and visual. (see video) If you have some suggestions you can share, I would greatly appreciate hearing from you. Thanks in advance!

Jim, you can find a sample construction drawing completed in Chief Architect on our samples gallery. If you have time, take a look at the "Riverstone" plan.

The people figures that are in the 3D Library are "silhouettes" - in the specialty category. Agreed, the search function needs help - it's on our list

What you can control for materials is the Sash and Trim for the interior and exterior. Do you have an example of what you would like you can post?

Take a look at this video on ray trace tips and techniques; it is long (1 hour), but it has good information. One tip I like to do before ray tracing, is inspect my materials with a ray trace preview. With the rainbow tool (define materials), go to the properties panel, and above the image preview change the setting to “show ray trace view” – it can quickly help you set your materials correctly before you run your main ray trace

You can with these steps: 1. set the cabinet to not have a door 2. place the door separately from the Library and rotate it open.

Charles, the cross-section slider is going to leave hollow areas like you are seeing. You might try the doll house (floor overview); then, if you need, set the ceiling height to 5' - you can see the tradeoff in the attached image. (I suppose you could lower the height of windows and doors to get it exact) You won't be able to use the slider with the floor overview, but you will have solids for doors/walls, etc. For water, use something like a polyline solid, set the elevation and paint it with water.